Boston private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are old partners, current lovers and longtime friends with deep roots in their old neighborhood of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Dorchester is not your everyday suburb. Adjacent to Boston, Dorchester has its own illustrious and distinguished history. It was settled in 1630, and was primarily a farming community which remained separate from Boston for its first two hundred years of existence. Dorchester's history contains many American firsts-- it was the first to use taxes for a public school system, the first to have a supermarket, and the first to hold a town meeting. Past Dorchester natives include several Mathers, T.H. White, Rose Kennedy, Leonard Nimoy and Donna Summer.

The 19th Century explosion in railroads tied Dorchester closer to Boston, and it was annexed by Boston in 1870. It remained mainly a suburban residential community, with a staunch sense of civic pride, a feeling amongst Dorchester residents that continues to this day.

Modern times find Dorchester, like the rest of America, in a state of flux. While it remains primarily working-class and heavily Irish, influxes of recent immigrants, as well as urban sprawl, have led many long-time Dorchester residents to flee to other suburbs like Quincy or Milton.

Yet many Dorchester residents are firmly entrenched in Dorchester, with a never-say-die loyalty to the area where generations of their families have lived. Dorchester, even with the conflicts it currently faces, contains much of the American dream-- tight-knit communities and a sense of history and flavor grown from generations.

Kenzie and Gennaro know this territory well, having grown up in Dorchester. In their latest outing, Gone Baby Gone, they must confront Dorchester and all its facets, from its rich history to its current battles with urbanization, drugs, and racial tension. The multi-layered textures and complex issues Dorchester face are the perfect mileiu for the gritty and evocative tales of Dennis Lehane.